Children are much more likely than adults to suffer from viral diseases accompanied by high body temperature. Some babies have febrile seizures amid a fever . They scare young parents very much. And at the right moment, mommies get lost and are not able to carry out the first necessary help. But are they as dangerous as they seem? And how to provide the child with the right help with cramps? To get answers to these questions, first of all, you need to figure out the cause of this phenomenon.
Why do cramps occur in children?
The causes of seizures in children can be very different. These are harmful effects even in the prenatal period, and complications during childbirth, and head injuries. But still, the most common reason for their appearance is high temperature. Seizures in a child in this case are called febrile. Occur in babies aged from six months to five years.
Usually they accompany viral diseases or appear against the background of
temperature when teething or after vaccination. However, many children have cramps only once. Note that they can also be hereditary. If the older relatives had cramps in infancy, then with a high degree of probability they will also have a tendency for the baby.
Symptoms of seizures in a child
Seizures at a child’s temperature are usually accompanied by a sharp tipping of the head, all the muscles of the baby’s body are tense, and the limbs are extended. Often eyes roll up, and foam appears on the lips. The teeth are clenched. Convulsions occur immediately throughout the body. Sometimes during an attack, enuresis or involuntary bowel movements are possible. Often, at the same time, the child loses consciousness, and after its completion does not remember what happened to him. Symptoms of febrile seizures can last from a few seconds to ten to fifteen minutes.
First aid needed
How to behave to parents if a child has an attack due to high temperature? What to do with cramps, and what can not be done in any case?
First you should calm down and call a doctor, because panic can not help the baby. The most important thing is to ensure the safety of the child, that is, to prevent him from hitting and removing objects that could injure him. The child needs to be freed from excess clothing, which restricts movement, and laid on its side. It is necessary to constantly be near the baby, carefully monitoring his condition.
If the child begins to turn blue, and breathing becomes intermittent, you can spray cold water on his face. Be sure to remember that during an attack you can not put or pour anything into the mouth, as the child may suffocate. For the same reason, in order to bring down the temperature during an attack, the child should not be given oral syrups or tablets, only the use of suppositories is allowed.
It is very important to detect the duration of the seizure, as well as remember how convulsions manifested themselves. In the future, this information will help the doctor.
Do I need medication?
Seizures at a temperature in a child usually do not pose a serious danger and pass by themselves. According to doctors, if seizures occur only against a background of high temperature and do not last more than 15 minutes, they do not require any special treatment. As additional measures, doctors sometimes prescribe calcium-containing drugs or sedatives. In any case, if a child has cramps, this is a definite reason to consult a pediatrician and, possibly, a neurologist.
When to worry?
Usually, the cramps at the temperature in the child stop themselves without any consequences. However, in some cases, they may indicate the presence of serious neurological diseases. There are signs that parents should pay special attention to:
cramps appear without fever;
the attack covers only half the body;
convulsions occur in children under the age of six months and after five to six years.
In these cases, urgent consultation of a qualified professional is necessary.
Prevention of unwanted attacks
You can prevent muscle cramps in children with the help of special drugs. However, they are prescribed only for prolonged and repeated seizures, if there is a risk of developing epilepsy. But given that the likelihood of this is extremely small, and such drugs cause serious side effects, such measures are rarely taken by neurologists.
Usually, some simple rules are enough to prevent seizures. If the child has had an attack at least once, there is a chance of recurrence. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent a significant increase in body temperature. It should be often measured and, possibly, planned to take antipyretic drugs. Also, overheating should be avoided. Children prone to seizures, it is better not to sunbathe for a long time, not to go to the sauna. The ability to properly help the baby with a fever is very important.
How to help a child at high temperature?
In young children, the temperature rises at lightning speed. Therefore, you need to measure it more often, so that if necessary, quickly take action. Especially when it comes to babies prone to cramps.
But what if the moment is missed and the child is already “burning”? How to
bring down the temperature of 39 and above? In the event of such intense heat, special medicines cannot be dispensed with. The safest and most effective drugs used in children are considered “Paracetamol” and “Ibuprofen”. They are available in a variety of dosage forms, so each child can choose the best option.
How to bring down the heat without medication?
However, one cannot rely solely on medication. The most important thing is to provide the baby with the right conditions. At high temperatures, the body rapidly loses fluid, so a child needs plenty of warm drink. Compote or fruit drink will be the best option, although in this case it is not so important what to give the child: tea and mineral water are also suitable. The main thing is that there is enough fluid. The air in the children's room should be cool, but at the same time you need to make sure that the child does not freeze.
Often parents are interested in how to bring down the temperature of 39 without the use of drugs. A common method is rubbing with alcohol or vinegar. But under no circumstances can this be done! Such grindings are extremely dangerous and can lead to serious poisoning of the child's body.
You can not use warmers filled with ice, as well as cold wraps. So you can cause a
spasm of blood vessels of the skin: then it "cools", but the temperature of the internal organs continues to rise. It is very dangerous. It is best to periodically wipe the baby slightly with a handkerchief dipped in warm water. In this case, the child should not freeze. Using this method, a significant decrease in body temperature can be achieved.
Thus, cramps at a child’s temperature, although a rather frightening symptom, usually do not pose a serious danger to the child’s body. The main thing is to know how to help your baby in such cases.